Malta is experiencing economic growth and increased investment from the private sector which is creating new jobs, according to Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi.
Speaking at a social activity in Mellieha yesterday, Dr Gonzi said local and foreign investors believed in Malta's potential thanks to the government's policies.
This year, Malta Enterprise had approved more projects than in the whole of 2005. He mentioned as an example HSBC, which had chosen Malta to set up a call centre that would employ 350 people, and recalled that the Labour Party had opposed the investment by HSBC in Malta.
Dr Gonzi mentioned De La Rue - a major player in the money printing business - saying it was investing over Lm2 million to create a new production line with 60 more jobs. When Dr Sant was in government, the Prime Minister said, De La Rue was laying off workers.
Another success story was ST Microelectronics, which was about to open a research and development unit in Malta.
Dr Gonzi said Malta had placed sixth among the 25 European Union member states when it came to attracting foreign direct investment. The government, on its part, was investing in education so that the economy would have the necessary human resources to supply skills for industry.
In a short period, 15 pharmaceutical companies had set up shop in Malta, creating a demand for jobs in this sector. The government had responded to this need by creating incentives for students to take up science as their main area of study.
By means of government scholarships, Dr Gonzi said, the country would increase the number of people with postgraduate and doctoral degrees.
An area where Malta was excelling was in information and communication technology. The government had recently brought the biggest investment through Smart City, being built by the Dubai company Tecom Investments, which would create 5,600 jobs, Dr Gonzi said.
The Opposition, on the other hand, still preached doom and gloom. The reports it was publishing, like the plan for industry, lacked substance and was criticised by the Federation of Industry for being removed from reality.
In this report, the MLP was saying that the country needed to increase salt production and shoe mending, Dr Gonzi said.